Brach A. Johnson

Brach A. Johnson

Brach A. Johnson of Bismarck, age 77, passed away on July 24, 2025, after a struggle with thyroid cancer. He was an agent for Farmers Union Insurance in Bismarck and was a familiar face in the insurance community for 41 years before his retirement in 2015.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 2, 2025, at the Lord of Life Church, 1143 N. 26th St., Bismarck.

Visitation will begin one hour before the service.

Interment will take place at 1 p.m., Sunday, August 3, at the Glenfield Cemetery, Glenfield, N.D., off of HWY 200.

Brach was a "farm kid", (one of five) raised near Glenfield, N.D. by his parents, LeRoy and June Johnson, who, besides their farming operation, raised Angus cattle. His childhood was a happy mix of farm work, 4-H, and baseball in the summer, and school work, football, and basketball in the winter. Throw in lots of cousins and some horses, and life was good.

His mother used to hear him singing at the top of his lungs on the tractor while cultivating in the fields close to the house. So it was no surprise after graduating from Glenfield-Sutton High School in 1965, he took that voice to Valley City State College where he earned a degree in Music Education and met many life-long friends. He also began dating Marian Dramstad of Sutton in college and they were married in May of 1970. They were blessed with 55 happy years together, although he would probably joke that it was about 50 happy ones, and about five years that were only so-so.

Originally when he left college, he headed west to Glen Ullin for his first teaching experience, and quite an experience it was! He taught band and choir in high school and junior high and then all of the other grades, down to first. He noticed immediately that the high school boys were reluctant to volunteer for choir, and he needed those voices. So he challenged some of the basketball players to games of "horse" in the gym right after school. If he won, they had to join choir. It wasn't long before he not only had a men's section in the choir, he had a barbershop quartet that went to state!

Brach and Marian moved to Bismarck in 1974 after he was recruited by Farmers Union Insurance to take over an office on East Broadway. Just as his basketball prowess came in handy in Glen Ullin, his farming background really helped him get established in insurance since many of his clients were from the rural community around Bismarck. He had a great gift of gab, and soon knew almost all of the farmers within a forty mile radius. He loved the insurance business, and got up every morning whistling.

He didn't forget his music education, however. In 1975, shortly after he and Marian joined the congregation of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, he began directing their church choir on a volunteer basis. They offered him a salary for it, but he said, "I already have a job. This is for fun!" And music was indeed fun for him, and he directed the choir with enthusiasm for the next 42 years.

Besides his activities selling insurance and directing the church choir, he also renewed his interest in the Lions Clubs. He had first become a member back in Glen Ullin, and after moving to Bismarck, he and his friend, Garry Freier, were instrumental in chartering an evening club, the North Star Lions, in 1980. The club soon became famous for its fund-raiser at the Downtown Street Fair, barbequed turkey legs! Brach continued to be active with Lions Clubs International, and by 1994 was a District Governor, and then a Council Chairman the following year. He was inducted into the North Dakota Lions Hall of Fame in 2009.

You'd think he'd be busy enough, but in the early years he also played on a softball team sponsored by Capital Trophy. And he learned to golf. In addition, he and Marian discovered camping and took their children, Jessica and Tim, up to Lake Sakakawea on many weekends, fishing for salmon and singing around the evening campfires as Brach strummed his guitar. And they golfed.

As Brach and Marian grew older, the campers became bigger and soon turned into full-fledged RVs, the last of which was a forty-two foot Phaeton! Then they traveled for the winters to a gated community called Llano Grande near Mercedes, Texas. There they met a wealth of new friends from all over the country who had also come to Llano Grande to escape the cold weather. Once more, he volunteered to direct the church choir at Llano Grande for several years….and they golfed.

Due to increasing health issues, Brach could no longer speak (or sing) the last year and a half of his life, which was difficult for such an outgoing man. Maybe now that he has been set free, he will once again be able to talk and sing, this time with choirs of angels! He tried to remain physically active and yes, he was golfing with his grandson, Kristian, only about two weeks before he passed away.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and by two of his brothers, Barton and Robert. He is survived by his wife, Marian;and his children, Dr. Jessica Paulsen (Steven) and Timothy Johnson (Dr. Taya Patzman), who all live in Bismarck; and his grandchildren, Kristian, Siri, and Anders Paulsen. He is also survived by his brother, Jon Johnson (Sherry) of Glenfield; a sister in Arizona and many nieces and nephews.

His funeral service will be held at 10:30 on Saturday, August 2, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, located at 1143 North 26th Street. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 3, at the Glenfield Cemetery, east of Glenfield on Highway 200. There will be coffee and cookies at the Senior Center following the interment.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Brach's memory to Service Dogs for America, Box 513, Jud, ND 58454. This is one of his favorite Lions charities, which trains assistance dogs for people with disabilities, including PTSD.

Go to www.eastgatefuneral.com to share memories and view the service livestream.